Topic: the missing link between prog and punk! Posted: May 26 2005 at 19:29

yes, i beleive it exists, and it can easily (for the most part) be found at
your local cd shop. it is "frankenchrist" by the dead kennedys. the reason
why i say this is because
1.have you heard of a punk album that takes up both sides thats only 10
SONGS LONG!?!!!?!?!??
2.its a punk album that only has 1 song that is traditionally punk on the
whole album, most of the others are very prog like.
3.most of the songs are about 5 minutes long (which is right about in
between punk and prog song lengths)
4.it has a concept to it which is mostly about the government and the
workforce. most punk bands sang about this, BUT the difference here is
that it follows a continuity alot better than most other punk albums.

but this is just the surface, when you dig into the songs you actually
understand more about this album.

1.soup is good food-4:19

this song starts out with the guitar doing a very bizzare riff (no power
chords, definitely un-punklike) and then goes into the bass playing a riff
different from the guitar (also not like most punk songs). the begining
then continues like that and doesnt really change up until about halfway
through the song and then it goes for about a minute and then it returns
to its main theme. the ending is then different from the rest of the song.
this is a pretty good example of being a prog-punk album, but better
songs are to come later

2.Hellnation-2:23
this song is the only traditional punk song, if your trying find the miss
link of prog and punk your definitely not gonna find it here.

3.this could be anywhere-5:26

this song is alot like the first one with the intro but then it settles down a
little during the verses and it changes alot throughout the song. this is
the first great example of a prog punk song. halfway through the song it
makes a major change in the music and it would sound like a completely
different song by punks standards.

4.a growing boy needs his lunch-5:52

this is the second example of prog punk. it has a very slow and distortion
drenched guitar riff in the beginning and pretty much follows the other
long songs of this album. it will have a very un-punk sounding verse-
chorus-verse-chorus and then it will have a major change in the music at
about the halfway point.

5.chicken farm-5:07

this song is also very good. the bass comes in with a weird poppy riff.
very upbeat and unlike punk music, it leans alot more towards prog
music (and i have come to the assumption right here that you will have to
listen to this album to really find the aspects of it)

6.jock-o-rama-4:08

this song is not very prog like, but halfway through it drastically changes
into a narrative kind of song, and changes back to its original form. very
original for a punk band.

7.goons of hazard-4:26
this song reminds me of "trouble comin everyday" with the guitar riff in
the begining. thats pretty much all i have to say

8.mtv get off the air-3:39

this song definitely highlights why i think this is punk prog. it starts in
some weird cartoonish narration with a very upbeat childish riff then it
changes into being the most hardcore punk song on the album, it then
changes drastically into what alot of the other songs are like (complete
with its own spanish trumpet riff!). this song is great, thats pretty much
all i have to say. the best part is the message. any progger can definitely
relate to the them shouting "MTV GET OFF THE AIR!!! NOW!!!"

9. at my job-3:42
no, this is not captain beefheart, but it sure as hell sounds like it.

10.stars and stripes of corruption-6:19

i cant really say anything about this song, it doesnt really have anything
special about, but it concludes what is, i my humble opinion, the worlds
only prog punk album.

EDIT: i completely recall what i said aboutsatars and stripes, upon hearing
it again after a long time i must it is one of the best songs on the album.
if you really want to know what this album is like then i highly suggest
you purchase this album. it is a great album.

Prog and Punk are definitely not lightyears away from each other as certain parts of the rock press would like us to believe. The obvious case here is Sex Pistols and PIL frontman John Lydon citing Peter Hammill's NADIR'S BIG CHANCE as a major influence. Also listen to Van Der Graaf's live shocker VITAL, where Prog epics get a rough treatment, ending up as rather intelligent punk songs. In reverse PIL's first three albums are definetely worth a listen, some tracks carry a few, if minute prog elements. Or get Fripp's solo effort EXPOSURE (where prog meets punk meets pop meets ambient meets metal), or the League of Gentlemen releases.

On the Epitonic website you will find a Mathrock section with tons of great free tracks to download, most of which I would describe as a crossover between punk and prog. Check it out on http://www.epitonic.com/

Steve Hillage was playing punk/New wave before it arrived just listen to Motivation Radio from 75'. I think if anyone was a bridge between the two genres it was Hillage. Another album of his called ' Open' from 77 proves this as well.

<font color=Brown>Music - The Sound Librarian

...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR]

The Dead Kennedys were definitely something special. One of the very, very few interesting bands to come out of the 70/80's hardcore scene. They came before punk's commercialization, and thus had a semblance of creativity and satire not present in 99% of the later bands in the scene. I do not doubt that they could be considered prog-punk. They used a lot of jazz motifs/chords and often had rather long and interesting songs, many relating in theme.

IMO, VDGG and WIRE are the elusive missing link between prog and punk.

As stated above, VITAL is prog played with a low-fi raw (punk) approach and is absolutely terrifying, in a good way.

WIRE, in particular chairs missing (1978) and 154 (1979) are prog-punk
incarnate: music that is stripped down to its core in order to reveal
the raw creative power behind rock'n'roll. WIRE were all substance over
style, covering more ground in three minutes songs than your average
classic prog band could in 20.

If you want to hear a punk masterpiece that's almost at a prog level
check out the Decline from NOFX. It's a 25 minute continuous song
that alternates between moods, tempos, themes and it's complex enough
to satiate any prog fan.

How could you possibly forget those most wonderful The Stranglers, who seem to me to be so much on the proggy side of things and so little on the punk? Just take any of their pieces, either lengthier or not, and pay attention to their arrangements, never too simple, always attractive. From the sensational rendition of Walk on By to Golden Brown, to their punkiest tracks, to me it all seems to point to a prog approach. See their never-tired organ, frolicksome bass lines, intellipunk guitar and energetic & intricate & inspired drumwork and above all, their carefullness for detail and maybe you'll think so too. Maybe it was only their energy and somehow innate attitude (along with their powerful sound ) that made them be looked upon as punk. Still, their loyalties seem to go to something complex, simultaneously intelligent and vital and full of musicianship. Whatever it is, however mongrel-like they may be, they really are a noble mongrel.

Omar and Cedric from TMV were in ATD-I. They left the band just as it was about to break into the big time, i.e. become very very big. ATD-I were purveryors of "emo", a punk/hardcore derivative. You can hear some of sounds that later developed into TMV, but only a slight hint.

TMV are 1,000 time better than ATD-I!

"...misty halos made visible by the spectral illumination of moonshine."

I reckon this album is the link between the two genres. This is a prog rock album from a punk band. There are virtually no punk elements to it at all! Apparently super pretentious frontman Jaz Coleman sacked his punk rhythm section for not being 'progressive enough'

How could you possibly forget those most wonderful The Stranglers, who seem to me to be so much on the proggy side of things and so little on the punk? Just take any of their pieces, either lengthier or not, and pay attention to their arrangements, never too simple, always attractive. From the sensational rendition of Walk on By to Golden Brown, to their punkiest tracks, to me it all seems to point to a prog approach. See their never-tired organ, frolicksome bass lines, intellipunk guitar and energetic & intricate & inspired drumwork and above all, their carefullness for detail and maybe you'll think so too. Maybe it was only their energy and somehow innate attitude (along with their powerful sound ) that made them be looked upon as punk. Still, their loyalties seem to go to something complex, simultaneously intelligent and vital and full of musicianship. Whatever it is, however mongrel-like they may be, they really are a noble mongrel.

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